The claimed invention relates to an inserter and a method for inserting postal items into envelopes.
Inserters generally perform several functions such as separating and transporting of individual envelopes and documents, opening envelope flaps and inserting documents into the envelopes. Such machines are relatively complicated and accordingly costly and occupy a large amount of space.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,050,476, an inserter for inserting postal items into envelopes having an envelope body and a flap linked to the envelope body via a fold is disclosed. This inserter includes a hopper for holding a stack of envelopes with an outer envelope in a separating position oriented in a separating plane, with the flap, folded against or oriented at an acute angle to the envelope body on the outside of the stack of envelopes. An envelope catcher is suspended for movement and drivable along a catcher path, of which a section extends closely along the separating plane, with a free edge leading for engaging an envelope in the separating position at the inside of the fold linking the flap to the envelope body and entraining the caught envelope, with the envelope body trailing the fold, along a trajectory away from the envelope hopper towards an inserting position. To bring the envelope body in the inserting position, so that documents can be inserted therein from a postal item transport path leading to the inserting position, the envelope body is pivoted over 270°. After the envelope has been filled, the envelope is pivoted back over 270° and subsequently pushed off the envelope catcher and transported further with the fold between the envelope body and the flap leading. A disadvantage of such an inserter is its limited capacity in terms of numbers of envelopes that can be processed per unit of time and the complex structure that is required to swing the envelopes out of the transport path and back, both over 270°.